Ozuna – Page 3 – Braves Chop Chat

Braves vs. Diamondbacks Series Wrap

When the Braves play at home, it’s just a different experience, even if you’re watching on the TV. Another thing that makes home games even better is fans. And for this series (and home-stand) the Braves had 50% capacity for fans!

Game One: Huascar Ynoa vs. Luke Weaver, Braves won 5-4

What a great game to open up the series with! More fans at the stadium and a close Braves win. Ynoa pitched great, and he had a good performance at the plate, too. He pitched six scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and two runs, with a total of five strikeouts. He had his first two major league hits in back-to-back at-bats. One was a double in the bottom of the third, and the other a laser-beam single in the bottom of the fourth. He also had an RBI. Overall it was a very good game for Braves pitcher, Huascar Ynoa! It was also a good day for the Braves at the plate. Especially with runners on with two outs. In fact, every run that the Braves offense scored was with two outs. Austin Riley started the Braves scoring off with a bang when he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second. The Braves hit another home run in this game, and it turned out to be a key factor in the Braves win. It was a solo shot hit into the upper-decks of the Chop House by none other than my man, Ozzie Albies! It made me very happy to see Ozzie’s bat come to life more in this game with a double and a home run. Hopefully that will continue and he will get hotter and hotter at the plate!

Game Two: Bryse Wilson vs. Zac Gallen, Braves lost 5-0

Doubleheader game one. The Braves normally preform very well in doubleheaders… not this time. In game one, to say the least, Bryse Wilson didn’t have his best stuff today. Then add in his two throwing errors on pickoff attempts at first base, his command was all over the place. He gave up three runs, two home runs, and four hits. He only went four innings. Grant Dayton pitched an inning for the Braves. He also surrendered two runs to the Diamondbacks. The one “good” thing for the Braves in this game was their only hit, and it was by MVP Freddie Freeman.

Game Three: Drew Smyly vs. Madison Bumgarner, Braves lost 7-0

Double header game two. This was Smyly’s first start after coming off the injured list, and he had to go up against Madison Bumgarner. Smyly didn’t have the greatest command of his pitches or control of the strike zone. He allowed five Diamondbacks to score in the top of the first inning, one in the third, and then Josh Tomlin gave up the seventh D-back run in the top of the sixth. Bumgarner threw a no-no against the Braves. He did not give up a Braves hit, he didn’t walk a single Braves player. Oh, and the threw all seven innings. The best part about this game was Ozzie Albies’ great over-the-shoulder, running catch in the top of the second. And that was about it.

Geez, this wasn’t how I wanted or expected this series to end. But hopefully the Braves will preform better and win the series against the Cubs!

Braves vs Marlins Series Wrap

Braves country, put it this way, we may not have won the series versus Miami, but at least we didn’t get swept. And we can thank Dansby Swanson for that! The main thing that led the Braves to lose three out of four of this series was the bullpen. The bullpen gave up multiple late inning runs in every game versus Miami, and that cost the Braves big time.

Game One: Huascar Ynoa vs. Sandy Alcantara, Braves lost 5-3

Ynoa pitched very well. He went six innings, only giving up one run on three hits. He had one walk and struck out ten. The Braves actually scored before Miami on a RBI single in the top of the first that scored Ronald Acuña Jr. The Braves scored two more runs after that on sac-flies by Ozzie Albies. The bullpen was not at its best in this game. A.J. Minter and Nate Jones gave up two runs in the top of the eighth inning, and then Jacob Webb blew the game and the save in the top of the tenth inning, giving up a single and a double. Those two runs led the Marlins to win.

Game Two: Max Fried vs. Pablo López, Braves lost 14-8

The Braves started this game off with some excitement. Freddie Freeman doubled, and then Marcell Ozuna hit a two run blast. Note that Brian Snitker changed the lineup to where Freeman was hitting second, Ozuna batting third, and Ozzie Albies batting fifth. Speaking of Albies, he got in the home run fun too, hitting a solo shot in the first to give the Braves a grand total of three runs scored in the first inning. However, that lead did not last long. Brain Anderson led off the top of the second inning with a solo home run for the Marlins, and they scored two more after that. Fried is really having a hard time controlling the strike zone and commanding his pitches. He pitched a total of four innings. He gave up nine hits, eight runs, and two walks. He only had three strikeouts. The Braves had to go to their shaky bullpen for the rest of the game, and they had a rough outing once again. The Marlins ended up scoring a grand total of fourteen runs. Fourteen. And do you know who scored/drove in most of those runs? That would be former Brave, Adam Duvall. He had four hits, scored four times, and had seven RBI’s. Oh, and he hit two home runs. The Braves did score two more on an error by Duvall in the bottom of the ninth, bringing their run total to eight. Overall, this game was a stinging blow to the Braves and their fans. It was almost too hard to watch.

Game Three: Charlie Morton vs. Nick Neidert, Braves lost 6-5

Another extra innings game, another Braves loss. Morton wasn’t at his best today. He went six innings, with seven hits and allowed five runs. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit two more home runs today. One in the third inning and the other in the seventh. Both were two run shots. With his two run homer in the seventh, the Braves tied the game. The game remained tied and went into extras. In the top of the tenth inning, the Marlins scored on a double by Jesus Aguilar. They held onto their late inning lead and won. Acuña gave the Braves multiple chances to score, but the bullpen could not keep the Marlins bats inactive, so it didn’t matter.

Game Four: Ian Anderson vs. Trevor Rodgers, Braves win 7-6

If you were looking for a close nail-biter for game four of this series, you got it. This was a good game, with an even better end result. The Marlins once again scored early on the Braves. They got a three-nothing lead on the Braves, all runs were scored off of Ian Anderson. The Braves made it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the fifth inning on another home run by (can ya guess?) Ronald Acuña Jr. This kid has continued to show huge amounts of consistent power in this series against the Marlins. And then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, with two Braves on base, two out, Pablo Sandoval is at-bat. And he does it again! He crushes a three-run homer to give the Braves a 5-3 lead. Man this guy has serious power off the bench. He is turning into a huge asset for the Braves! I think if Austin Riley can’t improve offensively, the Braves will let Sandoval play more games at third base since that is his natural position. Starling Marte hit a solo home run for the Marlins in the top of the seventh to make it a 5-4 game.

Top of the ninth inning, A.J. Minter is on the mound for the Braves to try and earn the save and a Braves win. Instead of sealing the win, he blew the save. He allowed to Marlins to cross the plate. One on a double by Adam Duvall and the other on a single by Garrett Cooper that scored Duvall. Man, the Braves bullpen is having serious problems keeping a lead. That has to change if the Braves want to win games and ultimately clinch the division and be successful in the postseason.

Bottom of the ninth inning. Dylan Floro is on the mound for the Marlins to try and get them into extras so they can have a shot at winning the game and sweeping the Braves. The Braves had other ideas. Ender Inciarte leads off the inning with a single. Acuña does the same thing, and Ender moves to second. No body is out, and Freddie Freeman is up to hit. He ends up walking to load the bases, still there is no one out. Travis d’Arnaud strikes out and then my man, Ozzie Albies, gets walked with the bases loaded and the tying run comes in to score. And then…Dansby Swanson is up to bat. On the first pitch he sees, he lines it into left field, the Braves walk it off and win!!

Hopefully the walk-off will give the Braves more momentum going into the series with the Chicago Cubs and they will start to liven up more and win more ball games.

Braves Home Opener vs. Phillies Series Wrap

Nothing is better than Braves baseball. Well, except maybe Braves baseball at home and with fans. This series was a fun nail-biter for the Braves to open up the season with.

Game one: Charlie Morton vs. Zach Wheeler, Braves win 8-1

Nothing better than a Braves win, with fans, for their home opener. Let me just tell you, having 14,000 fans in the stadium after not having any for such a long time, makes it sound like a sell-out crowd with 45,00+ screaming at the top of their lungs. Charlie Morton pitched very well in his second appearance as a Brave. He pitched six innings, had four hits, surrendered one run, and had seven strikeouts. He also impressed at the plate with an opposite field single. The Braves went long ball in this game. Acuña hit an absolute BOMB in the fifth inning, Ehire Adrianza hit a three-run shot off the bench in the bottom of the sixth, and Freddie Freeman finished the night out right with a home run. Every one of those homers gave the fans something to scream about, not to mention they enjoyed booing Harper every time he was up to bat! This was a great game and made everyone truly realize how much they missed fans.

Game two: Ian Anderson vs. Zac Eflin, Braves win 5-4

This game was a whirlwind and a nail biter. In the top of the first inning, the Phillies scored two runs. Then in the bottom of the first inning the Braves scored three. Acuña doubled, Ozzie doubled and scored Acuña, and then Freddie decided to hit one out of the park. Anderson still hasn’t gotten into his pitching grove yet. He threw a lot of pitches and couldn’t always find his mark and. He pitched 5.1 innings, gave up four runs, five hits, and two home runs. Anderson did strike out five and he only walked one. Let me paint the picture for you. The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ehire Adrianza leads off the inning with a double, he has really shown his ability to hit with power off the bench. Acuña singles, Adrianza goes to third. Ozzie gets out 😦 and then Freddie Freeman is up to bat. He grounds into a fielders choice which is fielded by the pitcher. The Phillies pitcher, Jose Alvarado, doesn’t know where to throw the baseball. No one was covering second base. He froze, and in that moment Adrianza saw an opportune moment and he scored. It was an embarrassing play for the Phillies that turned into an absolute gift run for the Braves. The Braves held on and won that game 5-4.

Game three: Drew Smyly vs. Matt Moore, Braves lost 7-6

This was a good game to watch. The end result, not so much. The Braves had such a great opportunity to win this game, and honestly they should have. Bottom of the first inning, first pitch he saw, Acuña leads off with a double. The very next pitch that Phillies pitcher Moore threw, which was to Ozzie Albies, left the ballpark and it left in a hurry. That’s my man! He has had a slow start but he’s continuing to get better and more life is coming off his bat at the plate. The Phillies took the lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring four. The Braves weren’t gonna have that so they tied it in the bottom of that inning. Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. He hit three home runs in this series, one in every single game. He’s starting to heat up as well! Top of the sixth inning, Bryce Harper hits a solo shot. Phillies lead 6-5… but not for long! In the bottom of the seventh inning Acuña got in the home run fun, too. Launching a solo shot, he tied the game 6-6.

Okay, this is where things get frustrating. Top of the ninth inning. Phillies third baseman, Alec Bohm leads off the inning with a double. He gets advanced to third by second baseman Jean Segura on a ground out. Now, here is when things go whack. Didi Gregorius sends a fly ball out to Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna catches the ball, and Bohm tags up to try and score. Ozuna’s throw is right on the money. The baseball and runner get to home plate at the same time and Bohm is… safe? The home plate umpire says he was at least. Honestly I don’t think anyone, including the umpires, were sure about the call. It was an official review on whether Bohm was safe or not. The review took five minutes, and they still got the call wrong. Alec Bohm’s foot NEVER TOUCHED THE PLATE. You can look at review after review, and I don’t know how it wasn’t clear to the people in New York and the umpire that his foot didn’t touch the plate. Because of this horrible call, the Braves lost their chance to place some payback on the Phillies and sweep them.

Overall, it was a good game for the Braves. Except of course, the bad call at home plate. Hopefully the Braves bats will continue to come to life in the next few games and they will keep on winning.

Braves vs Nationals Series Wrap

After the first series, the Braves played and lost against to the Phillies. The first game of this series against the Nationals was postponed due to Covid protocols. I wasn’t exactly sure how this game would play out for the Braves, but I do think that the day off was good for them all around.

Game one: Drew Smyly vs. Max Scherzer, Braves lost 6-5

This game started off with an absolute bang *literally* when Ronald Acuña Jr. belted a home run on the first pitch he saw from Scherzer. Then, Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run in the same inning, and Swanson got in on the fun, too, hitting a solo shot in the top of the second. Now, for Acuña, one home run off of Scherzer wasn’t enough. He needed another one. So in the top of the third inning, Acuña sent a bomb into the sky for another solo home run in BACK to BACK at-bats. Wow! Drew Smyly pitched well over his six innings of work — he gave up four runs, only walked one, and struck out eight. Overall the thing that killed the Braves in this game was ultimately their bullpen. This was not the bullpen’s day at all. Surrendering two runs late in the game (the eighth and ninth innings), the bullpen allowed Juan Soto to walk it off for the Nats. The positive thing that came out of this game for the Braves was that their offense started to perk up.

Game two: Max Fried vs. Erick Fedde, Braves win 7-6

Because the original first game of the series with the Nationals was postponed, the Braves played in a doubleheader. In those doubleheaders, the two opposing teams only play seven innings. I personally really enjoy the doubleheaders because they seem more exciting and every inning really counts…and the Braves always seem to do very well in them ;). Once again, pitching wise for the Braves, Fried didn’t have his best stuff. In just two innings of work he gave up eight hits, five runs, a walk, and a home run. He also got a come-backer to the leg in the second inning while pitching. He was removed from the game for precautionary reasons. For the remainder of the game the bullpen did a very good job, only surrendering one more run and it was in the bottom of the seventh inning… the final inning of the doubleheader, scary! But they held on, and the Braves got their first win of the 2021 season…finally!!! Another thing that made this game even better was that my man, Ozzie Albies, had his first hit of the season. A lead-off single in the seventh inning, and he scored too!

Game three: Huascar Ynoa vs. Stephen Strasburg, Braves win 2-0

Doubleheader game two. Who would have imagined that out of all the Braves starters, that Ynoa, who wasn’t even scheduled to pitch until a few hours before the game, would come out and produce the best start of the year for the Braves’ pitching staff. I know I certainly didn’t! Huascar threw five scoreless innings, only surrendering one walk and two hits. He also struck out five National batters. It was a scoreless game all around until in the top of the seventh inning Pablo Sandoval was up to bat as a pinch hitter Then he did exactly what he did in the opening day game against the Phillies. He sent an absolute missile over the center-field fence. Wow! He is showing BIG TIME power. Overall this was a great game. Braves are starting to get all the gears clicking and showing their talent. Albies also picked up his second hit of the season in this game. 🙂

The Atlanta Braves now have a 2-4 record and will play again tomorrow on their home field, in front of their home fans as they take on the Phillies for the Home Opener. Go Braves!

Braves vs Phillies Series Wrap

Okay Braves fans, I know, this series was not what we wanted the season to start with… a sweep — with us being swept. I really don’t know how to put it in words except disappointment and a shock. However, in 2019 the Braves started off the season on the road against the Phillies and they got swept then, too. Yet, that didn’t stop them from winning the NL East for a second year in a row and playing the rest of the season very well!

While this series was a tough pill to swallow and not what anyone in Braves country wanted to start out with, there was still some hope sparked and potential shown in this series!

Game one: Max Fried vs. Aaron Nola, Braves lost 3-2

What a game to start the season. Extra innings and everything. The only thing that would’ve made this game better is if the Braves had won. Let’s start off by discussing the “good” stuff from the game, shall we? Fried pitched well. He had eight strikeouts over five innings, and he only gave up two walks. He did give up six hits and two runs, which isn’t awful but not exactly what I expected from him. We do have to keep in mind that it was his first real start of 2021, and he is still filing in for Mike Soroka in the number one spot in the rotation until Soroka returns. The Braves did have some late inning sparks as pinch hitter Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run blast off of Nola in the top of the seventh inning. That is definitely something that the Braves were happy to see from him. He has big time power in the bench role, and it showed. There were a couple minor things like Freddie’s error in the fourth, and Ozzie’s aggressive base running in the top of the tenth. Maybe if those things were different, the game’s end result would have been as well… but it’s too late for that now.

Game two: Charlie Morton vs. Zack Wheeler, Braves lost 4-0

Whew. Game one was tough to watch, this one might’ve been even harder. I wish I could talk about the Braves’ offense and how it really came through for this game, too bad they didn’t score anything. They didn’t really do much of anything at the plate. They had one hit courtesy of d’Arnaud and struck out a total of 14 times. Morton’s pitching wasn’t top notch. He gave up three of the four runs that the Phillies scored, he gave up two walks, but he did strike out five. One of the toughest things about this game for me besides that the Braves didn’t score, was that the Phillies pitcher had two hits, two RBI’s, and scored once. That just shows how hot the Phillies lineup was — even the pitcher had something to say at the plate.

Game three: Ian Anderson vs. Zach Eflin, Braves lost 2-1

Once again offensively the Braves weren’t exactly there. However, they did get one run on a solo homer by Travis d’Arnaud. Pitching wise, Ian Anderson had a very decent start against the Phillies. He went five innings, gave up one earned run, walked two, and he struck out seven. Chris Martin gave up the other run for the Braves in the eight inning and then exited the game and hasn’t pitched since. He was experiencing numbness in his fingers, which the Braves training staff gave immediate attention to considering he is a key pitcher for the Braves.

Overall this series wasn’t a very enjoyable one in Braves’ Country. But losing is a part of the game. You can’t always win every single game every single day, it doesn’t work like that. There is always going to be a team who is hotter than you are when you meet them on the field. That’s how it goes. We just hope that the next time two teams meet up on the diamond, it’s the Braves who are hot!

Player Production so Far This Spring Training

Even though Spring Training games don’t exactly count, they are none the less fun to watch and important. Spring training is a time for Minor Leaguers to show their stuff and try to make the roster, and for veterans to try and earn a spot on the bench. Spring Training is also super important for the everyday players to warm up their bats, sharpen up their defense, and face other teams’ pitchers.

As a manger, in this case Brian Snitker, you watch player production carefully to see which Minor Leaguers and Spring Training invitees are showing great skill and production. They also look at the shape that their everyday players are in and how well they are preforming during the spring.

The Braves have had a very impressive Spring Training so far this year. Their young players have really shown out in their talent, and the every day players have continued to be strong, reliable, and have proven their talent levels. Here are a few Braves players who have had a good Spring Training so far:

Ronald Acuña Jr.

This kid. His amount of talent continues to grow with every season. He has hit four home runs so far this spring…four! And they haven’t been cheap little line drive home runs either. Another thing is his strikeout rate hasn’t been as high as we normally see, which is encouraging. He has also gained more patience at the plate, not swinging at every pitch or getting an out after only seeing a couple of pitches at the plate. Acuña will be an exciting player again to watch this year, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the Braves in 2021!

Ozzie Albies

My man! Ozzie has continued to show his talented ability as a switch-hitter. He has improved from the left side of the plate, and continues to be great from the right side. Albies has hit two home runs this spring and has a .250 avg. so far this Spring Training. He was 1 for 2 yesterday with a single and a stolen base. We can’t forget to mention his defensive abilities. It surprises me greatly that Ozzie hasn’t won a Gold Glove in his career. (He should’ve won one in 2019.. but don’t get me started on that!). Albies has been and will continue to be a Gold Glove worthy, powerful switch-hitter in his career, and I cannot wait to see him play in 2021!

Marcell Ozuna

Like last year, Ozuna had a slow start to his Spring Training. However, his bat has started to come alive within the last few games. In 31 at-bats he has a .226 average, has six RBI’s, and has hit two home runs. In yesterday’s game against the Rays he was 2 for 3 with a home run. With the National League not having the DH this season, Ozuna will be the Braves left-fielder. His defensive skills aren’t the greatest, but he has worked on them this spring and has done a good job in left field. Obviously, given how he hit last year, he has a big time power bat. He will once again be such a bonus hitting cleanup behind Freddie Freeman in the lineup. He will be a fun one to watch for sure this season!

These are just three of the Braves players that have really shown up this Spring Training. Obviously Braves manager Brian Snitker isn’t worried about how well Ozzie, Acuña, and Ozuna have preformed this spring. He knows their abilities and that you can’t have your best stuff every single game.

One thing to point out is the empty spot on the bench. In my opinion the Braves are either going to add Jake Lamb or Jason Kipnis to the bench. Lamb is currently riding on a .188 average in 32 at-bats. He has hit one homer, has had 6 hits, and has five RBI’s. He has also struck out 11 times. Kipnis isn’t doing much better.. he has a .240 avg. in 25 at-bats with one home run, six hits, and three RBI’s. He has struck out 7 times.

Neither of their spring stats are eye-opening. They have both struck out a good number of times and have hit the same amount of home runs — one. It will be interesting to see who the Braves go with in the end…if they go with either of them! Like I said, they are just my two predictions for who will round out the Braves bench.

My Braves 2021 Opening Day Lineup Predictions

With less than a month until the start of baseball, and Spring Training already underway, I decided it was time to start thinking about the Opening Day lineup!

The Braves have so many amazing players! I would think it gives Braves Manager, Brian Snitker, a little bit of ease when it comes to creating the lineup on a day-to-day basis. Along with with what order I think the players will hit in, I’m going to list what position I think they’ll play. Let’s get started!

Ronald Acuña Jr. position: Right Field
Ozzie Albies, position: Second Base
Freddie Freeman, position: First Base
Marcell Ozuna, position: Left Field
Travis d’Arnaud, position: Catcher
Austin Riley, position: Third Base
Dansby Swanson, position: Shortstop
Christian Pache, position: Center Field

This is how I believe it will be, but there are a couple of spots that Snitker could swap players. Swanson and Riley could easily be swapped. However, I put Riley before Swanson so there could be a little more power at the bottom of the lineup, so it can have a lot of depth to it. And Albies and Swanson could be changed, but I personally don’t think they will be. Ozzie has proven how capable he is in hitting second. He can easily drive a run in early if Acuña were to reach. Also, I do want to note Christian Pache. He made his debut last year for the Braves and did very well. He also proved his defensive abilities in the 2020 postseason. I don’t think the Braves will start Ender Inciarte this season. I think he will be a bench player. His numbers aren’t what they used to be and he has become injury prone. Yes, he is still good defensively, which is why I think the Braves will give him a spot on the Opening Day roster, just not on the starting lineup.

Braves Clinch the Eastern Division For the 3rd Straight Year!!

The Braves started off this series with the Miami Marlins with a close 5-4 victory, and last night the Braves pulled off another victory. But this one was EVEN BETTER… winning 11-1, the Atlanta Braves clinched the National League East for the third straight year. They have also made major league history, when they picked up their 20th Division Title.

GAME WRAP:

Bryce Wilson pitched tonight for the Braves and surprised us all with five scoreless innings and five strikeouts. Considering all of the struggles that the Braves’ rotation has gone through this 2020 season — first losing Soroka for the season, then losing Max Fried for a two weeks. Not to mention… Cole Hamels, who started the season on the IL for the Braves and made one start against the Orioles then went back on the IL and is most likely out for the postseason — our team has proven that we have the perserverance to play hard and win.

The Braves’ bats also came alive tonight! Marcell Ozuna – what a player! He got things started for the Braves tonight with a solo-home run in the first inning. He also sent a bomb out of the park in the eighth inning. He now leads the NL in home runs and RBIs. The Braves hit a total of five home runs tonight. Two by Ozuna, one by Ozzie Albies, one by Dansby Swanson, and one by MVP candidate Freddie Freeman!

Considering everything with COVID in 2020, this clinching celebration was different. But is wasn’t just different due to COVID. The Braves went into this season with a different mindset than the last couple of postseason runs. They went into Spring Training 2020 with the mindset of, “we are going to clinch the division this year and make it further into the post-season.”

Last year’s post-season run was disappointing. The Braves made it to game five after blowing game four against the St. Louis Cardinals. They gave up 10 runs in the first inning and ended their postseason run with a loss of 13-1. BUT… the Atlanta Braves -right now- are quite possibly going to face their postseason rivals the Cardinals in the Division Series, and the Braves have a different ending in mind than last time!

What a night it was for the Atlanta Braves! Clinching the NL East for the third year in a row and gaining their 20th division title is flat out amazing! The most division titles in in major league history.

Braves vs Mets Series Wrap

This was a good series for the Braves. It was also the last time the Braves will see the Mets until mid September.

Game one: Sean Newcomb vs Rick Porcello

This game was the best come-from-behind win I’ve ever seen! Not to mention, it was by far the best Braves game of the 2020 season (so far). Starting off to a good start, the Braves took the lead 2-0 in the bottom of the first. However, the Mets weren’t going down easily. After the Mets scored two in the top of the fourth, and having a six-run inning in the top of the fifth, the score was 8-2. Braves scored three in the bottom of the fifth making it an 8-5 game, but things still didn’t look good for the Braves. To make things worse, the Mets scored two more in the top of the sixth maiking it a 10-6 game. Yet the Braves – being the relentless team that they are – scored one in the bottom of the sixth and didn’t stop there! Dansby started the rally in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single. Then Travis d’Arnaud, a new addition for the Braves, came to life with a bases-clearing double and took the game to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL giving the Braves the lead 11-10, with which they won the game with.

Game two: Touki Toussaint vs. Michael Wacha

What a game for Braves fans and Ronald Acuña Jr.! With the rotation being uncertain, Touki showed great promise that he could pitch in the starting rotation. He may not go as many innings as Max Fried, but he showed some promise in this game. Pitching four scoreless innings, only allowing three hits, he showed improvement from the 2019 season. The only thing he needs to control more is his walk-to-strikeout-ratio, striking out five and walking three is this start.

Now on to some offense… Ronald Acuña Jr, what a game he had! Starting off slow in the start of the delayed 2020 season with a .184 batting average and striking out a bunch, this was his breakout game. With a double and two RBIs his bat finally came alive. But to make it even better… he hit an absolute bomb to left center feel giving him his first home run of the season! He was all smiles as he celebrated with the cardboard fans above the dugout. The Braves won this game 7-1. Marcell Ozuna also hit a home run, becoming a key player in the Braves’ every day lineup.

Game three: Kyle Wright vs. David Peterson

The Braves’ rotation still showed struggles in this game. Only going 3.1 innings it was a rough outing for Wright. Not to mention he didn’t pitch a clean inning and walked four guys. But the Braves relief corps showed excellence on the mound. Tyler Matzek pitched very well. Throwing two scoreless innings- only giving up two hits- he showed that he could very well become an important part in the bullpen, perhaps even making it to the starting rotation. The Braves were very good offensively tonight as well. Scoring two runs in the third, one in the fourth on a home run by Johan Camargo, his first of the year, and one in the eighth, the Braves ended up shutting out the Mets 4-0. Giving them a winning streak of five games.

Game four: Mike Soroka vs. Jacob DeGrom

This game’s starting pitchers brought on a rematch from Opening Day. Mike Soroka was looking to win the game but sadly, in the top of the third inning, running off the mound to try to field the ball, Mike Soroka tripped falling off the mound and had to be helped off the field in pain. After the game we learned that Mike tore his right Achilles and will be out for the remainder of the season. Prayers are with you Mike! And if that didn’t set the tone of the game enough, Jacob DeGrom had total control of the mound striking out ten Braves which ultimately helped the Mets win 7-2.

This was a good series, with the Braves coming out on top. The Braves team and fans are devastated by Soroka’s injury, and we are now left wondering what this loss will do to our season. But, Mike Soroka is a young guy with a lot left in his career. Right now, we just hope the Braves can come back from this loss, creating a new pitching rotation that will carry us through the season.

Better Late Than Never Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Series Wrap

With the Braves’ second series finished… it’s time for a blog post wrapping up the series!

Game One: Mike Foltynewicz vs. Tyler Glasnow

This game was not Foltynewiz’s finest start. Arguably it could be his worst start in regular season play, which would exclude game five of the National League Division Series where he gave up SEVEN runs in the first inning- in which he only got one out. In this first game agasint the Rays , the Rays were on point offensively scoring a total of fourteen runs and four home runs, which ultimately helped win the game. Foltynewiz got DFA after this start.

Game two: Kylie Wright vs. Yonny Chirinos

The Rays came through in this game again winning 5-2, sweeping the Braves in a two-game split series in Tampa. The Rays’ bats continued to be alive in game two-of-two in the split park series, having a total of seven hits and winning the game. The Braves had six hits, but failed to score more than two runs.

Braves Home Opener: Braves vs. Tampa Bay: Mike Soroka vs Charlie Morton

The first game at home in Truist park, and the Braves put on a show for their cardboard cutout crowd. With a great pitching performance from Mike Soroka, he carried the win throwing 5.1 one innings, striking out 5, and only allowing two runs throughout his preformance on the mound. The Braves’ bats also came alive during this game with Freddie Freeman hitting his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to right center field. The Braves won this game 7-4, giving them a record of 3-3.

Game two of home opener: Braves vs. Tampa Bay: Max Fried vs Ryan Yarbrough

Let’s face it, Max Fried is getting GOOD. In this game he threw 6.2 innings, only giving up one run and striking out seven. Winning this game 2-1, the Braves bullpen is showing that they can preserve a lead to let them win.

Highlights of the series:

Dansby Swasnon has been on FIRE since the start of this season. If he can keep this up, the Braves will have an amazing chance at making a run for the postseason and an even better run to win the World Series.